October marks the start of National Bullying Prevention Month. It’s considered a time to raise awareness of the harmful impacts bullying has on children and young people.
According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, being bullied can severely affect a person’s self-image, social interactions, and school performance and can lead to mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety, substance use and even suicidal thoughts and behaviors.
KPBS reached out to Jonathon Hunt, the coordinator for library media services with the San Diego County Office of Education, for book recommendations. This list includes books with ideas for parents on how to stop bullying, books to help children and young people understand when bullying happens, and books promoting courage, support and kindness as a means to prevent bullying.
Kids Books
Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
- "Bully" by Laura Vaccaro Seeger
“"Bully" doesn’t have a kind word for any of his friends. When the other animals ask him to play, he responds in the way he’s been taught: Chicken! Slow poke! You stink!” — Roaring Brook Press - "Each Kindness" by Jacqueline Woodson
“Chloe and her friends won’t play with the new girl, Maya. Every time Maya tries to join Chloe and her friends, they reject her. Eventually Maya stops coming to school. When Chloe’s teacher gives a lesson about how even small acts of kindness can change the world, Chloe is stung by the lost opportunity for friendship, and thinks about how much better it could have been if she’d shown a little kindness toward Maya.” — Nancy Paulsen Books - "I Walk With Vanessa" by Kerascoët
“This simple yet powerful picture book — from a New York Times bestselling author husband-and-wife team — tells the story of one girl who inspires a community to stand up to bullying. The perfect back-to-school read for every kid, family and classroom!” — Random House Studio
4th grade – 8th grade
- "Blubber" by Judy Blume
“Based on an incident in my daughter Randy’s 5th-grade classroom that never could have happened if the teacher had been tuned in to the kids in her class. Her lack of awareness made it easy for the class leader to use her power in an evil way, victimizing one student and turning classmate against classmate. When I began this book, I was determined to write the truth about the school-bus culture in the language of that culture. "Blubber" is funny to a point, then wham! Some adults are bothered by the language and the cruelty, but the kids get it. They live it. In some places the book is used in teacher training classes to help future teachers understand classroom dynamics.” — Judy Blume - "Starfish" by Lisa Fipps
“Ever since Ellie wore a whale swimsuit and made a big splash at her fifth birthday party, she’s been bullied about her weight. To cope, she tries to live by the Fat Girl Rules–like “no making waves,” “avoid eating in public,” and don’t move so fast that your body jiggles. And she’s found her safe space–her swimming pool–where she feels weightless in a fat obsessed world. In the water, she can stretch herself out like a starfish and take up all the room she wants. It’s also where she can get away from her pushy mom, who thinks criticizing Ellie’s weight will motivate her to diet. Fortunately, Ellie has allies in her dad, her therapist, and her new neighbor Catalina, who loves Ellie for who she is. With the support buoying her, Ellie might finally be able to cast aside the Fat Girl Rules and starfish in real life-by unapologetically being her own fabulous self." —Nancy Paulsen Books - "Wolf Hollow" by Lauren Wolk
“Despite growing up in the shadows cast by the two world wars, Annabelle has lived a mostly quiet, steady life in her small Pennsylvania town. Until the day new student Betty Glengarry walks into her class. Betty quickly reveals herself to be cruel and manipulative, and though her bullying seems isolated, at first, it quickly escalates. Toby, a reclusive World War I veteran, soon becomes the target of Betty’s attacks. While others see Toby’s strangeness, Annabelle knows only kindness. And as tensions mount in their small community, Annabelle must find the courage to stand as a lone voice for justice.” — Dutton Books for Young Readers
Teens
9th grade – 12th grade
- "Dear Bully: Seventy Authors Tell Their Stories" Edited by Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones
“Today’s top authors for teens and young people come together to share their stories about bullying — as bystanders, as victims, and as bullies themselves — in this moving and deeply personal collection.” — Harper Teen - "Stargirl" by Jerry Spinelli
“Originally published in 2000, "Stargirl" was instantly embraced and has sold nearly 2 million copies. With its depiction of a nonconformist with a heart of gold, lyrical writing and its charming love story, "Stargirl" quickly asserted itself as a modern classic. The companion novel "Love, Stargirl," written from Stargirl’s perspective, was a similarly smashing success in 2007, with over 400,000 hardcover copies sold.” — Ember - "Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass" by Meg Medina
“One morning before school, some girl tells Piddy Sanchez that Yaqui Delgado hates her and wants to kick her ass. Piddy doesn’t even know who Yaqui is, never mind what she’s done to piss her off. But as the harassment escalates, avoiding Yaqui and her gang starts to take over Piddy’s life. In an all-too-realistic novel, Meg Medina portrays a sympathetic heroine forced to decide who she really is.” — Candlewick Press
Adults
- Bullied: What Every Parent, Teacher, and Kid Needs to Know About Ending the Cycle of Fear by Carrie Goldman
“The mother of a bullied 1st grader, popular blogger Carrie Goldman’s inspiring true story triggered an outpouring of support from online communities around the world. In "Bullied," she gives us a guide to crucial lessons and actionable guidance she’s learned about how to stop bullying before it starts. It is a book born from Goldman’s post about the ridicule her daughter suffered for bringing a Star Wars thermos to school — a story that went viral on Facebook and Twitter before exploding everywhere, from CNN.com and Yahoo.com to sites all around the world. Written in Goldman’s warm, engaging style, 'Bullied' is an important and very necessary read for parents, educators, self-professed "Girl Geeks," or anyone who has ever felt victimized by a bully, online or in person.” — HaperOne
